More Human Than a Human
by Pinkbishie
Summary: How Jupiter met Logan and later became an X-man


Title: More Human Than a Human  
Author: PinkBishie  
E-mail address: PinkBishie@aol.com   
Rating: PG  
Summary: How Jupiter met Logan and later became an X-man- Jupiter's POV, present tense...think: going back in time   
(Takes place before "The Invitation", "Jupiter's Landing", and "The Jupiter Understanding")  
  
Disclaimer: Take every single disclaimer everyone has written for X-men fics and slap a big fat "Ditto" on it. Although, Jupiter is a made up character and she's all mine.  
  
Also, keep in mind that I can't keep up with the real comic/movie/cartoon story line worth a shit, so I'll just screw it up or make up my own.  
  
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It's three degrees below zero in Moscow, Russia and I'm running against the cold front as if hell's demons were after me. Actually, it's more like the Russian army. I'm a spy for hire and my assignment is simple: destroy ZDnet data entries of mutant DNA.  
  
At least, it was simple enough until a security system I had neglected to deprogram exposed my ass to every security camera in the facility.  
  
I'm outside on the west wing of the giant, metallic-looking building thanking any supreme being in existance that the guards haven't started shooting yet. Although, that makes me suspicious at the same time. Do they want me alive?  
  
My motorcycle, which is parked on the east side, is my only hope for escape and as I make a sharp right into the shadows, I wonder if I'll be able to live through tonight.  
  
I hear thick voices shout out my codename: Jupiter, and I can't help but feel popular. I'm the most wanted espionage criminal in the world and the funny thing is, I'm usually working for the good guys. For example, my current mission is to avenge the loss of my first mission where I had attempted to prevent mutant DNA from being extracted and stored. Hundreds of mutants were kidnapped and experimented on so that some Russian prick could make a fortune.  
  
I press my back against the wall, certain that I am safe in the shadows. There's a commotion off to my left and I hear the sound of dogs barking. Fucking hell, now I'm in a prison camp.  
  
Sooner or later, I'll be sniffed out. I close my eyes and after muttering a few swear words in my native tongue, Spanish, I bolt for the east side. The sound of gunshots explode into the night and I'm surprised at their poor aim. Again, I wonder if they want me alive. I curse myself for having ditched most of my gear inside the facility and my lungs begin to burn from the freezing air. There is a sudden explosion to my right side behind me and the forces throws me on my stomach onto the snow. Grenades? Jesus, I'm dead, I'm dead.  
  
I am momentarily disoriented and it's all the time the guards need to pin my limbs down and begin patting me down. One guard grabs my hair roughly.  
  
"Ouch. That hurts." I say.  
  
"Shut up." He spits out at me in Russian. I hear him pull out a walkie talkie and speak into it. A voice responds and I am unable to catch the conversation, having only learned the language yesterday.  
  
They pull me up on my feet and I wonder what fate await me. Maybe it's better if they kill me. As we walk, they force my head down so that I am staring at the ground. I listen closely to the sound of crunching snow and count: 3 men on my left, 2 on my right, one on my arm. I concentrate on the combat skills I've been taught and decide on a combination of Kata and Tai Chi moves.  
  
Although my hands are bound behind my back by a pair of metal cuffs, I jerk my head up and bring my left knee up hard. The one holding my arm grunts as I make contact with his side and I think I hear his rib crack. The three men lunge for me and I dive for the snow and allow them to topple on top of me. Maldición, they're heavy.  
  
I bite whatever flesh I can get to and with a few kicks in someone's face, I am away from the arms and legs. The two guards left standing point their weapons at my abdomen. I clench my jaw and figure they probably have orders to shoot me if I'm trouble.  
  
There's a sudden flash of light reflecting of something metallic and the two guards aiming at me go down hard and fast. I blink. In their place stands a medium built man with wild dark brown hair and harsh eyes. Obviously a mutant considering he has 6 longs metal claws protruding from the knuckles on each of his hands. He wears a black leather suit with an X marking on the collar. It strikes me as familiar.  
  
I swallow, "Wow."  
  
The guards I had just finished with, groan in complaint and begin to reach for their weapons, without a word and with movements I can hardly see, the mutant grabs my forearm and heads in the direction I had come from.  
  
"What the hell are you doing? Who are you?" I practically shout as I squirm from his grip. This guy is strong.  
  
As we reach a large wall he motions for me to be silent. After retracting his claws with a quiet hiss, he places his hand on my waist and presses me against the cold cement. I hold my breath. This is some night.  
  
A unit of 15-20 soldiers run by with automatic weapons and I start to think my new friend must be psychic. I watch him as he nods to an imaginary person and he motions for me to follow. I hesitate. He notices it and presses his cheek against mine, speaking into my ear.  
  
"There's no time for this. Either you trust us, or you don't." He growls out.  
  
What the..? Although I am wary and growing increasingly annoyed, I obey. With my hands still behind my back, I trot alongside him as we dart from shadow to shadow. Occasionally a lone guard would appear but my claw-happy friend as very skilled in the art of slicing and dicing, apparently.  
  
As we approach the fence, I notice three other figures in the darkness. I squint.  
  
"Wolverine, get those restraints off of her." A voice said.  
  
"We haven't much time." A female voice with a slight accent stated.  
  
The claw-guy exposes his set of kitchen knives once again and frees me with one swipe.  
  
Finally, the three strangers emerge from the darkness and I recognize each of them. The guy with the visors, the white-haired women and the red-haired women. They're the X-Men; the so-called mutant terrorists.  
  
"Wow." I say again. I must be making a great first impression.  
  
Cyclops gives me a slight nod, "It's time to go."  
  
I think of my beloved motorcyle and am reluctant, "Just what the hell is going on here?"  
  
Wolverine snorts as he easily climbs over the fence and lands on the other side, "Listen, darlin, we haven't got all night. Get on the bird and we'll explain."  
  
Asshole.. I open my mouth to argue when a spary of bullets in our direction interrupt me.  
  
Jean Grey floats easily toward the darkness beyond the fence, "Time to go."  
  
With no other choice, I follow.  
  
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
  
I sit in Professor Xavier's office and I can't believe they've entrusted a wanted criminal, like myself, with the information on their identities and whereabouts. I could make a pretty penny off of that information.  
  
I suppose I do owe them one for last night.  
  
His office is furnished with old english antiques and hundreds of books on physics, genetics and pychology. I listen to the tick of a modern grandfather clock and turn my attention over to the windows. There are students playing outside. The entire school is made up of mutants and I couldn't feel anymore at home.  
  
Professor Xavier rolls in through the door a few moments later, "Excuse my tardiness, I had a situation with a student of mine."  
  
I nod.  
  
"You must be wondering why you're here." He says as he rolls to his desk.  
  
I wait.  
  
"The truth is, we were on a similar mission as well." Xavier pauses, "ZDnet no longer has mutant DNA in their posession or the information they possessed as a result of it. Had my team left you where you were...you could have been killed."  
  
I sigh. Damn X-men beat me to the punch. Even if I had made it to ZDnet's database without incident, it wouldn't have made a difference. "I'm very aware of who you are and what the X-men stand for...and I am grateful for your help and hospitatlity."  
  
Xavier looks at me. Deeply. "Tell me, Jupiter. Why do you do this kind of work?"  
  
I hesitate, "It's all about the money, of course."  
  
"Of course." He replies.  
  
I bite my lip. Yeah, just lie to a telepath.  
  
Xavier leans foward a bit, "I could use a person of your skill and dedication on the team."  
  
I narrow my eyes, "So that's it? I meet the X-men coincidently on a mission that happens to support their cause and I'm in the club?"  
  
"Is there any other reason why you got on the jet?"  
  
Smart man. OK, so maybe I did have an underlying hope that maybe just maybe, I'd get some skills from the uncanny X-men...so what.  
  
Xavier nods, satisfied, "Join us for dinner tonight."  
  
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
  
I stroll around the school grounds taking in every detail. The halls are usually quiet, as most of the students are either in class, outside or in their dorms. I study a painting hung on a rounded part of the room and find it an odd structure to hang a painting on. Before the observation had finished crossing my mind the wooden part slid open like a futuristuc elevator. Startled, my heart skips a beat and I take a step back as Wolverine walks out.  
  
"Christ.." I mutter, a little embarressed.  
  
Wolverine smirks at me, "Did I scare ya?"  
  
I scowl at him, "Oh no, you must be confusing disgust with fear."  
  
He thinks I'm funny and chuckles, "Must be."  
  
"What is that? The Bat Cave?" I point to where he had come from which had returned to the wall and painting.  
  
"Lower levels." He pauses and gives me a once over, "Chuck showed you it yet?"  
  
I cross my arms, "He spoke of it."  
  
He sticks his hand out, "Logan."  
  
"Logan? What's with the cat name?"  
  
His smug expression fades and he looks at me irritated, "It's a codename and Wolverine is not a cat."  
  
Of course I know it's not a cat but I'm pleased that I was able to annoy him. He looks cute when he's irritated. I shake his hand, "Jupiter."  
  
He opens his mouth to say something smart and I stop him with a gesture toward the elevator/wall, "After you."  
  
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
  
After walking through most of the lower levels and informing me on the rest of the team members, we head upstairs to the dining room.   
  
I sit at the table and Logan choose the chair on the opposite side as we wait for the others to arrive for dinner.  
  
"So how'd you get initiated?" I ask half-joking but sincerely curious.  
  
Logan pauses, "I've got some unfinished business. I figure a few years in here might do me some good."  
  
I raise an eyebrow, "A few years? I'd have never pegged you for the committed type."  
  
"Surprise surprise." He sits back in his chair, "How about you? How'd Chuck convince you?"  
  
I chew on my lip for a moment before replying, "It didn't take much. I've been doing jobs that have helped mutants out for years. I'm more interested in what I did to convince Xavier that I could contribute to the group."  
  
"Other than being a smart-ass? I'm sure there's something.."  
  
"Funny." I say.  
  
He only smirks at me. There is a few moments of silence while the other members arrive. I meet members of the team I had only heard about and not met. Nightcrawler, Gambit, Rogue, Beast and Kitty. Others were mentioned in converstation. Although the group, with the exception of Logan, is sickeningly warm and friendly, I can't help but space out as I scrutinize over the details of ZDnet and the night I first encountered the X-men.  
  
"...it is the starting line of an adventure and a quest for a new beginning." I hear the last part of Scott's corny speech.  
  
I eye Logan from across the table and stifle a laugh as he completely ignores Scott and scarfs down his food.  
  
I began to rethink my reasons for being here. I'm twenty-three and have only really live ten years of my live. The rest were spent under the intense training of the Russian goverment. Sure, I have resentment against the country that took me away from my homeland in Puerto Rico, but was that enough to turn me into a mutant activist? I glance up and find the Professor looking at me. It's clear, to him and myself: I'm here because maybe, just maybe, mutants are more human than a human.  
  
end 


End file.
